You have truly caused me great suffering!

Inside the government office in Taiyuan.

High-ranking civil and military officials from Hedong gathered to discuss a problem that shouldn't have been discussed at all.

The rotation of troops in the Northwest should have been decided solely by Chen Shaoqian, and he should not have made his weighing of options too obvious.

But Chen Shao doesn't care now. He has enough prestige to support him to be more honest and do this openly.

I don't play mind games with my own people, and I don't scheme against them. I just don't feel comfortable letting you guys stay there for too long.

If you disagree, you can bring it up.

Almost everyone knew that the Prince of Dai would not retaliate or hold a grudge.

In everyone's eyes, he is a very sincere and honest person.

Sure enough, once the topic was set aside, everyone readily shared their opinions without hesitation.

Finally, Li Tangchen's opinion piqued Chen Shao's interest.

Since the concern is about one entity becoming too powerful, it would be better to establish two central authorities to check and balance each other, rather than constantly switching them.

Because of the change in leadership, policy instability will result.

In the rear areas, stability is still paramount.

Chen Shao nodded, already having an idea in mind: to increase Wu Jie's power.

This allows Wu Jie and Xu Jin to check and balance each other.

The two of them will never get together. Wu Jie is a trusted confidant who rose to power with him in Hengshan, and in terms of seniority, he is second only to Han Shizhong.

Even if they were to get involved together, Guangyuantang would still be aware of it.

Chen Shao stood up with a smile, "Indeed, we still need to pool our wisdom. To be honest, I tossed and turned all night, thinking about it for a long time."

Liu Jizu chuckled and said, "Even the wisest person can make a mistake, and even the most foolish person can have a stroke of genius."

With a plan in mind, Chen Shao had to make the decisions himself.

After all, the granting and taking back of power is not something that can be negotiated with others.

After returning to the inner hall, Chen Shao calmed his mind and began to ponder.

To be honest, maintaining a balance in the Northwest is quite easy.

In the Northwest, it's impossible for any official to unite all the forces.

Because the ingredients there are too complex.

Therefore, Chen Shao only needs minor adjustments; simply elevating Wu Jie would resolve most of the hidden dangers.
-
The wind howls, and the horses neigh.

Wu Jie, accompanied by several lieutenants, rode slowly across the grassland on horseback.

He had several lieutenants draw the terrain, which they already knew by heart, on parchment scrolls using charcoal pencils.

Wu Jie always believed that terrain plays a crucial role in warfare.

A general must employ different tactics in different terrains.

Therefore, he required his generals to at least learn how to draw.

At this moment, a strong and sturdy man rode up from behind and said, "General, a messenger from Taiyuan has arrived to announce the decrees of the Prince of Dai."

Upon hearing this, Wu Jie suddenly felt a surge of excitement. Could it be that he was to be transferred to the Central Plains?

He coughed lightly to calm himself down, then nodded and said, "Let's go back to camp!"

The deputy generals were also overjoyed. The Youzhou Army Corps, once the cornerstone of the Dingnan Army, was the greatest contributor to the destruction of Xia, but now it had been stuck in the rear for three years.

When Wu Jie arrived at the central command tent of the military camp, three people were already waiting inside.

"General Wu".

"What are your orders, Your Majesty?"

The visitor slowly unfolded a document and said, "This is the King's decree, ordering Wu Jie to select a general and lead 20,000 men into Hebei to fight; to provide relief to the wounded soldiers who return; and to hold civil service examinations in the ten prefectures of You, Yan, Yin, Xia, Xing, Xi, Liang, Gan, Gua, Sha, and Long, to select scholars, no longer relying on recommendations from the prefectures. If any scholars join the army, they may be treated with special consideration."

"The general is responsible for all farming, harvesting, and taxation in each fortified village."

After the announcement was read, all the generals in the tent were stunned and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Wu Jie sighed and said, "Your Majesty's kindness is beyond my ability to repay."

Actually, he wasn't very happy. Being selected to serve in Hebei meant that he still couldn't go.

With increased power in the rear, this is clearly intended to balance the power of Xiping Prefecture.

Wu Jie believes that this is indeed necessary, but it is not necessary for him to be the one to do it.

During this period, he was preparing for the eastward advance and tried every day to find out the battle reports from the front.

He often visited wounded veterans who had returned to their hometowns to hear them recount the fighting style of the Jurchens and the course of many battles.

He had assumed that with the situation at the front so urgent, they would surely transfer him to fight in the Central Plains.

He didn't participate in the last battle in Yunnei, so this battle between Youyan might be his last chance.

Wu Jie always felt that even if the king wanted to advance further, there wouldn't be much of a war breaking out in the Central Plains.

The real decisive war was the battle against the Jurchen Jin Dynasty.

Now, we are to establish a government office in Youzhou, together with Xiping Prefecture, to manage the vast rear area.

It seems that my chances of joining the war are extremely slim.

Wu Jie could only console himself that if he did well here, it would still be a great achievement.

The King of Dai was the fairest.
-
In early October, a rain fell in Taiyuan Prefecture, Hedong. After the autumn rain, the weather turned cool, and there was already a hint of early winter.

A gust of wind blew by, and Zhao Mingcheng, holding a hairpin in his hand, looked sullen.

He clearly remembers that his wife went out that day wearing a wooden hairpin.

This hairpin was originally a token of their love that he gave her on their wedding night. Later, it was said to have been pawned, but now, after a trip to the Prince of Dai's residence, it has miraculously reappeared.
His mind was in turmoil, and coupled with his illness, he had been in a very depressed mood since resigning from his official post.

Looking back on this frame-up, the fact that I was able to clear my name was thanks to the favor of Prince Chen Shao. It didn't seem quite right for me to suspect him without cause, but I couldn't shake off all my doubts.

Especially that peony painting; if it were before, I definitely wouldn't have been able to tear myself away from it.

At this moment, however, I have lost all interest and have no mood to appreciate it.

Feeling the bleak autumn wind, Zhao Mingcheng suddenly had an idea—to go back to his hometown!

Being alone and without any relatives in Hedong made him uneasy.

I might as well go back to my hometown.

Just then, Li Qingzhao returned from outside. She slowly walked out and saw that the person driving the carriage was a maidservant whom Zhao Mingcheng had never seen before.

After getting off the carriage, Li Qingzhao was carrying a package in her hand and seemed to be in a very good mood.

Her face was rosy, with a faint smell of alcohol.

When Li Qingzhao saw him, she said with a smile, "Take it!"

"what?"

"Open it and see for yourself," his wife said, her voice tinged with pride.

When Zhao Mingcheng opened it, he found it contained a treasure trove of gold, silver, and jade.

Zhao Mingcheng's face grew even paler as he asked, "Where did it come from?"

"From the Prince of Dai's residence."

Zhao Mingcheng coughed suddenly, and Li Qingzhao immediately asked with concern, "Why do you look so pale again? Didn't you take your medicine properly?"

"I ate it, I ate it," he hesitated for a long time before cautiously asking, "Why would the Prince of Dai's mansion give you these?"

"I earned all of this!"

Li Qingzhao helped him to go inside, but when she noticed his pale face, she thought for a moment and suddenly seemed to understand.

Her face immediately turned cold, and she frowned, saying, "What are you thinking?"

"without"

With a snap, Li Qingzhao slapped his arm. "This is what I won while riding a horse!"

Li Qingzhao was somewhat unhappy about her husband's suspicions, and she went into the room with a stern face.

Zhao Mingcheng slowly walked in, weighing the package in his hand, feeling somewhat relieved.

He had always known that his wife was a master horse rider, with superb skills that were hard to match. He never expected that there would be someone with such a talent in the Prince of Dai's mansion.
In fact, at that time, high-ranking officials and nobles, regardless of gender, all quite enjoyed riding horses.

After all, there are too few entertainment options.

Since it was won by betting on horses, there's no problem with it, and it certainly solved their immediate crisis.

After all, returning home requires travel expenses.

"My wife, let's go back to our hometown."

Li Qingzhao turned her head and asked in confusion, "You're not fully recovered yet, why are you going back to your hometown?"

"I have no relatives or friends here, it's so boring."

Li Qingzhao thought to herself, "I won't have a livelihood if I go back. I can still rely on Maode for help here."

Princess Dai was a book lover who admired her own talent. Over time, she had become acquainted with him and often invited him to meet.

However, considering her husband's pride, she did not speak directly, but said softly, "Why don't you wait a few more days until you feel better before you leave?"

“This is a chronic illness of mine, so it won’t get better easily. Besides, it will be even harder to walk when the weather gets colder in a few days.”

Seeing that her husband was determined to leave, Li Qingzhao was worried, but she did not dare to refuse him too much.

To avoid him overthinking things.

"OK then"

Li Qingzhao looked worried and glanced at her husband. Zhao Mingcheng sensed his wife's concern and smiled at her.

However, her pale complexion only made Li Qingzhao more worried.
-
Chen Shao finally witnessed firsthand just how powerful the Song Dynasty's financial resources, combined with the fighting strength of the Dingnan Army, were in war.

The ongoing stalemate in Hebei is costing far more money than before.

However, Chen Shao's pressure has been greatly reduced.

The report from Bianliang made Chen Shao realize one thing: the pressure on the Song Dynasty was not great.

These expenses are perfectly acceptable to them.

To be honest, it's not even as much as Zhao Ji used to spend alone.

In addition to the saved tribute; Cai Jing, by a twist of fate, took the opportunity to dismiss officials and the imperial guards, saving an even more staggering amount of money.

Now the Song Dynasty's treasury is full, and Emperor Zhao Huan is not one to spend money; on the contrary, he becomes richer and richer with each battle.

After that, I no longer have to worry about money.

Chen Shao is now focused solely on building canals and roads in Hebei, using work relief to help the people of Hebei settle down again.

In response, he specially hosted several banquets for local gentry from Hebei and Shandong, hoping they would return to their hometowns and set an example.

Many people attended the banquet, but very few responded.

Hebei and Shandong are fertile lands with countless fields of good farmland. It's not a good idea for this group of people to stay in Hedong and try to make a profit.

Upon returning to the mansion, it happened to be during a banquet for guests in the inner quarters. Chen Shao inquired about it and the maidservant said that Li Qingzhao, the "Laywoman of Yi'an," was going back to her hometown with her husband, which was Zhucheng in Mizhou.

Chen Shao chuckled, surprised that Old Zhao, whom he had never met and only knew from textbooks in his previous life, was quite supportive of him.

I just suggested that the gentry of Hebei and Shandong return to their hometowns, and they responded to the call.

To avoid attracting guests, Chen Shao did not go to join the commotion, but instructed his men to prepare a generous gift for the couple.

Chen Shao specifically suggested that the delivery should be made when there are many people, preferably on the street!
Set a good example! (End of Chapter)